This course is an excellent way to strengthen your Core. The Core muscles are not only located on your abdominal area; they are a network of muscles giving support to your pelvic area, hips, lower pack, middle back and upper back.

This Pilates course focuses on improving the strength and flexibility of muscles that support the entire spine and the muscles of your core in order to maintain optimum flexibility, mobility of the joints, the strength of the internal muscles and to prevent back injury.

 Pilates practice can also help with posture, muscle tone and assist to relieve tension and stress. Feel and move better both mentally and physically.

We will begin each session in a standing position with stretches to warm up your body. You will then move through exercises lying on your back, your side and your front, before moving on to your hands and knees and then to seated. To finish you will stand and stretch and leave ready to enjoy the rest of your day. We will use equipment such as resistance bands, foam bricks and over balls to add challenge and fun, which the studio provides.

The teacher will give assistance and guidance or alternative exercises if a particular exercise does not feel comfortable or is not suitable for participants. Please speak to the teacher if you have any concerns or have any questions.

WEEK ONE: Outer core and inner core strength
We will focus on your outer and inner core activation taking into consideration the principles of Pilates practice; alignment, breathing and centering. Exploring individual flexibility and physical ability whilst you learn the sequence of each exercise.

WEEK TWO: Flexibility and muscle performance
As we recap what we learnt in week one, this class will focus on muscle strength and muscle memory, with slow repetition and controlled movements we will work on muscle flexibility and strength. Weights will be used for more challenging adaptations.

WEEK THREE: Dynamic Alignment
This week you will be going further with your understanding of your body and its movements. We will focus on improving the quality of every movement and coordination with touch and imagery whilst maintain neutral alignment and challenging your core stability.

WEEK FOUR: Postural Control and gravity
We will recap on the warmup phase. This week the focus will be on the movement quality to gain equal muscle strength. We will work with opposition and challenging the effects of gravity on your posture.

WEEK FIVE: Base of support, stability and gravity
We will ensure neutral alignment of the body in relation to your base of support and how gravity affects your posture and muscle development which support your neutral alignment. We will be challenging your balance with efficient exercises to strengthening your core muscles while you also develop the understanding of the quality and controlled movements to increase body awareness in each of the positions.

WEEK SIX: The classical Pilates repertoire
This week, we will go through the main Joseph Pilates classical mat repertoire with precision movements, with adaptations if necessary to suit individual abilities. Making sure you have a full understanding of the body awareness, core control and strength aspects.

These sessions are each 60mins in length and the course is priced at £85 for 6 weeks.

Please bring your own mat if you have one, and a medium-sized towel for head-support.